


Memoirs

by swhdx



Category: Tom Clancy's The Division
Genre: F/M, Not A Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26307007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swhdx/pseuds/swhdx
Summary: mem·oir /ˈmemˌwär/ noun - a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources.A look into Agent Evelynn Hall's time during activation, and her relationship with Aaron Keener. Set pre-game to Division 1.
Relationships: Aaron Keener/OC
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Far off in the distance, somewhere you can't see  
> Allegiances have formed your destiny.  
> "Black," Kari Kimmel

To say that Manhattan was drowned in chaos would somehow still be describing it lightly. In the last two weeks, so much had already happened. People were dying left and right, the city was crumbling, and life was beginning to get hard. Well,  _ harder _ . As people searched for power in the conflict, factions were beginning to form. The JTF had their hands full. Luckily, the Division was equipped for that. Adapt, survive, save what remains. That was their entire goal, and they were here to prove that. They were the best; the last line for when things went wrong. 

But even the best have their moments. 

Aaron Keener managed to get himself pinned down behind a broken down car in an open intersection, a couple of Rikers laying down heavy cover fire. Every time he peeked out, the shooting started up. He couldn't run, couldn't shoot. For lack of better terms, he was fucked.

"Come on out, Division asshole!" yelled one of the men, "we promise we ain't gonna hurt you…  _ for too long, anyways! _ "

Keener's eyes roll at the attempt from the attacker to goad him out of cover. Needless to say, it wasn't a very inviting offer. 

" _ SHD Network linked _ ," chimed ISAC in his ear, " _ an agent has been connected to your comms network _ ."

_ How did-? I'll worry about that later,  _ he thinks before letting out a sigh.

"This is Vanguard. If any agents can hear me, I'm pinned down at the intersection of West 40th Street and 5th Avenue. If anybody copies, backup would be, you know,  **_helpful!_ ** "

It's silent for a minute before a sound registers in his ear; it's gunfire, but it's far off. From the south, maybe? He goes to repeat his page when suddenly he hears an awkward noise and then someone collapsing from beyond his cover. The accompanying Rikers start to scramble, Keener hearing one of them mention he had been  _ shot? _ Blue eyes peek over to see the man previously taunting him on the ground, a pool of blood forming around his head. The shot was clean; a marksman rifle, he deduced. 

"Copy, Vanguard. One hostile dispatched, two remaining," says a voice in his ear, almost startling him. Her accent was French, maybe a woman around his age. Who… was this? "Apologies about pulling into your comms. You look to be in a bit of a situation, hm?"

"Where are you located?" he asked, doing his best to keep a steady tone. Eyes scan the surrounding area, unable to find the agent at ground level. 

"Shh, I'm trying to work," retorts the voice, her tone a bit playful.

Another shot goes off. Then a second not long after. Both hit their mark, and suddenly, Aaron finds himself safe from the imminent threat he was facing not more than a few minutes ago. He stands, reassessing the area. ISAC chimes in that no more hostiles were detected, and he couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. 

So then, the question remains. Who was his mystery guest piggybacking on his comms?

"... thanks for the assist," Keener says, still trying to locate the agent, "How did you manage to get into my system?"

"When you know ISAC as well as I do, it isn't too hard," she replies, "Don't worry, it's not a habit if you're worried… Mm… I've seen you around the base now that I get a good look at you. The man with the velvet tongue."

"Oh? Is that what people think of me?" he asks, though he must admit that it fits well, "Where are you hiding anyways?"

"J'ai laissé de côté le mot  _ attrayant _ ," she speaks with a laugh, "I'll remove myself off your comms now."

"Wait, no introductions?-"

" _ An agent has disconnected from your communications system _ ," ISAC relayed.

It's then that he can see in the distance a figure standing from the rooftop of one of the old apartment buildings, light reflecting off the scope of the person's weapon. If Keener had to place bets, all of it would be that the figure was his mystery woman. He takes a moment to adjust himself before retreating back to base. 

Their talk didn't leave his mind for the rest of the day.

  
  


When he returned from his run, he checked in with the commander before being relieved for the day. He returned to the hotel that was set up for the agents during their stay. Pushing in on the door, he was greeted by his current roommate, Caleb Richards, call sign Orion. The older man let out a sigh, tossing his pack on the bed.

"You look puzzled, Keener," said the younger agent, who was currently writing out what looked like a letter; most likely to his sister. "Something up? Oh, by the way, we have a new neighbor in the room next d-"

"I can't get what happened out of my head," he replies, accidentally cutting off Caleb's comment, "I was out, got pinned down by a couple Rikers and then… then some agent hacked my comms and took all three of them out."

"That's… a weird problem? If that's even considered one," Caleb retorts with a laugh, "What's the deal?"

"The  _ deal  _ is---"

Aaron paused. Wait, what exactly  _ was _ his deal? He was fixated on this, but unsure why. Was his brain trying to distract him from the chaos? Maybe… Probably.

"I… Never mind- sorry, I cut you off earlier. What were you saying?"

"No big deal, man. Oh, we have a new neighbor. She seems nice!"

"Oh?" Keener replies with a small smirk, smoothing out his clothes as if it would make a difference. He pushes some stray bangs back from his face. "So, how do I look?"

"Keener, you have  _ no _ chill…"

"What? Just trying to make a good impression."

"Uh huh. Sure, okay."

He goes over to the door that was attached to the next room over, giving it a firm knock. He waits a few moments before the door opens. There stands a woman, tall, with lips colored of carmine. Her wavy, short cut brunette hair fades into a beautiful shade of navy blue, and her emerald gaze nearly cuts him down right then and there. 

He is suddenly lost for words. And before he can speak, she does. 

"Well, well," comes a familiar voice from her lips, "What an interesting development… Pleasure to meet you in person, Vanguard."

Keener's eyes widen as it dawns on him who this is. 

"You're-"

"Evelynn Hall. Call sign, Pathfinder."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me by the hand and asked me if I had plans  
> I said, "Gettin' drunk and pretendin' that I can dance."  
> "El Tejano," Lauv, Sofia Reyes

"Amazing how you manage to look better than most the agents running around New York right now."

"If you spent the same amount of time working on your Spanish as you do complimenting me, maybe you would finally get hold of sounding more natural, hm? Or did you already give up on that?"

Evelynn pulls back from the mirror she was applying her lipstick from to look up at the person speaking with her. In the doorway is Aaron, leaning against the doorframe, a curious smirk present on his lips. Her eyes shoot him a look that reads  _ stop that, _ before letting out a sigh. 

"Might as well keep up with it," she replies, capping the tube of makeup, "if there is a chance for death, may as well leave a beautiful corpse behind."

"A bit morbid, Evie."

"C'est comme ça que la vie est maintenant, oui?"

She can hear a huff come from the younger agent. He always hated when she spoke French- he didn't know the language, so he couldn't retort back. She took the victories where she could. Tossing the small tube back into her bag, she notes the other with what looks like a grocery bag in his hand. She gathered he was off the current rotation at the checkpoint.

"You found an open store?"

"If by  _ open _ you mean  _ ransacked, _ then absolutely. Don't worry, left some cash on the counter," he starts as he walks towards her. Evelynn scoffed knowing that wasn't the truth considering the transmission vector for the virus  _ was _ cash. 

"You said your stuff is almost out- your lipstick, right?"

Evelynn let out a sigh. It was true; getting activated meant grabbing your SHD Pack and high tailing it out wherever you were. Needless to say that jumping from Detroit to Manhattan didn't leave much time to grab anything extra. A few more days of scraping the bottom of the tube with a cotton swab and it would be gone. She silently mourned, it was such a good shade. 

"Mm… why do you ask?"

After digging around for a moment, Aaron pulls out  _ something _ , holding it out to her. Slim fingers take the item from his gloved hand, curiously glancing up before looking back to the palm of her hand. 

"Don't worry, the glass is all sterile. Wanted to ditch the box for obvious reasons, but it's been untouched."

She fiddles with the item. A beautifully cut glass bottle, which upon further inspection, seemed to house a red liquid. A beautiful shade, one similar to the one on her lips currently. It then dawns on her-  _ it's lipstick, _ though a liquid formula. Did he really go out of his way for something like this?

"Aaron, how did you-" 

"I have my ways," he interjects, "Plausible deniability if I don't tell you. But hey, the box said it was pretty smudge-proof, so… figure in these conditions you wouldn't have much time to fix it up."

Her brow furrows, expression confused. Inside she can't help but feel a bit happy by the random gesture. Unable to help but laugh a little, the woman grabs some makeup remover she picked up locally to scrub away what she had literally just applied. Might as well see if this was a good shade, right? 

As Evelynn began to apply the pigment to her lips, the man couldn't help but hover behind watching the spectacle. She had such a steady hand, which made more sense as she ran around with a large marksman rifle; her tool of choice, and was she damn good with it. Watching the woman do something so trivial was thrilling in a way amid all the chaos around them. It grounded them both and made it seem like things, at least for now, were okay. 

Needless to say, Keener found it troubling when he finds himself needing to look away. _No matter,_ he thinks, _it's…_ _just a fluke._ Though the fact he kept sneaking glances back put that into question. 

It takes a few minutes, but after finding herself satisfied with the work, she gazes hard into the mirror to inspect. The color was  _ gorgeous _ , she had to admit. A matte texture when dried down, she was more privy to creme formulas. With the way the color was, though, she would happily make an exception this time around. Turning to her follow agent, she flashes a smile his way.

"So? How does it look? Be honest, no flattery- I mean it, Aaron."

"You deny me my best form of honesty? I'm appalled."

The man takes a step back from her, head tilted to the left. Then he tilts it opposite. What was he doing? All he was doing was  _ looking…  _ Evelynn let out a loud sigh as to break him from whatever thoughts were running around that thick head of his. 

"I get it. It looks-" " _ Perfect. _ " "Hm?"

Keener finds himself clearing his throat, finally looking away from her again. 

"I mean the shade- it's a perfect one for you."

"Ah, well… I suppose you do good work then. Maybe after all this blows over you can become a helper at a makeup shop, hm?"

The two share a laugh before she finally inquires at what else was in the bag. A mischievous twinkle shines in the man's eyes and  _ oh, that's never good. _ He pulls out a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses. The woman lets out an agitated groan. It was always something with him, huh?

"Keener!" she exclaims, though her tone is quite hushed so nobody hears, " _ we're on duty. _ What happens if the coordinator walks in?"

"We ask if he wants some?" he replies with a chuckle, "and  _ technically  _ we're off duty and  _ on call _ right now… The world's on fire, Evie. Might as well have some fun in case we don't make it."

"We  _ will  _ make it through this..." A pause. "Mm... a little won't hurt, I suppose."

The man was already pouring the alcohol into the small glasses before she could even finish speaking. Rolling her eyes, she should expect as much from him, yet somehow she's always caught off guard. Evelynn stands and Aaron hands her the small glass. He raises his, and she raises hers.

"To us, saving the world," Keener says.

"How about the SHD and saving New York?" the woman retorts.

"Same difference."

With a small  _ clink,  _ the two partake in their shot. They both take a moment after to just let the alcohol sink in; they both needed it. When next he looks, Evelynn could be seen inspecting her glass, seemingly looking for something. Of what though, Aaron wasn't sure. 

"It looks like your assessment was correct," she replies with a grin, "not a smudge on the glass!"

"You know, I could think of a few other ways to test that-"

" _ Aaron… _ "

"Okay, okay! Can't blame a man for trying to persuade a lovely lady."

  
  


Keener had mentioned going to see Evelynn after his time was done at the checkpoint. For what, Caleb had no clue, but decided it best to just let it go. His fellow agent could be awfully cryptic when he wanted; an odd juxtaposition to his normally suave and straightforward attitude. 

A tired yawn came to him as ISAC let him know that it seemed Evelynn and Aaron were still in the same place, her room, which was attached to the one Caleb and Keener split. Since all the agents were holed up in a hotel in Manhattan until things could be settled, some had rooms attached to one another. 

Dropping his pack down, it made a slight  _ thud _ . Man, did he forget how heavy those things were at times. He goes to open the door that blocks, but takes pause. Was that… music that he was hearing? He lets curiosity get the best of him and quietly turns the doorknob. Poking his head into the room, it was a sight to see.

Three-fourths a bottle of tequila seemed to have gone to their heads as the radio in Evelynn's room played some indistinct pop music. The two danced, or at least tried to, as it seemed Keener had two left feet while the woman was doing her own stumbling, though it was most likely due to the amount of alcohol they had accidentally partook in. The two laughed, making fun of each other while Caleb quietly shut the door. 

_ They must've bumped heads,  _ he thinks with a chuckle,  _ Not sure why Evie's lipstick would be smudged... _

  
  


But, as they say, nothing lasts forever. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Low life for life 'cause I'm heartless.  
> "Heartless," The Weeknd

Snow poured on Manhattan on the day that all hell broke loose. 

The JTF, and by extension, The Division had failed to keep the upper part of the borough in check. They had lost countless lives to rioters and disease, not to mention agents of their own. Now, it was almost as if the JTF vanished all together. Everything went to shit so fast, it was no wonder they couldn’t get a grip on the situation. It had spiraled before their feet were even on the ground. 

Evelynn knew why they had done it, or at least, imagined why. They weren’t the same as the SHD agents. This was beyond their scope; they were  _ scared _ . Did it excuse their actions? Absolutely not. But it made them human, and it was only human to fear when everything had been turned against them and the odds seemed impossible. It caused what was left of the agents to become sitting ducks. Comms were scrambled, and they were spread thin.

They were hiding out in an alley when Keener asked the question. 

“How could they just betray us like that?”

Evelynn’s brow furrows at his remark, eyes glancing over to her companion.

“Aaron, these people are  _ scared _ . They’re not like us, nor should we have expected them to be.”

The grip tightens on his weapon, anger flaring in his eyes. This wasn’t right- they couldn’t just abandon the city like this. There was a job that had to be done, but suddenly they weren’t allowed to do it? No… No, it wasn’t going to be like this. It couldn’t be.

“We need to get going,” Evelynn says quietly, standing to make her way out of the alley, “We have our orders to evacuate.”

The woman, already chilled to the bone, takes a few steps towards the exit when she notices a lack of another pair. She’s puzzled, turning to see Keener standing, though he has yet to make any effort to move.

“Aaron, if we don’t go, we’ll miss our evac-”

“Evie,  **_think_ ** ,” he says, cutting her off, a sharp tone lacing his words, “What’s to say that this isn’t going to happen again? No,  _ when _ it happens again. We need to stay- we  _ have _ to stay.”

The woman can’t believe that she’s hearing these words come from his mouth. She understood his sentiment- it pained her to have to leave this behind. To leave the people drowning in conflict and contamination. But what choice did they have? Without any backup, they would die. And then what was left? No information, no nothing: they would be useless, and then the cause would be for nothing.

“Aaron, we took an  _ oath _ , and you know this. We have to report back to the Div-”

“Fuck the Division,” he spat, venom in his words, “we don’t need them! I’m not leaving these people to die.”

There is a long silence between the two, their eyes scanning one another. Was he bluffing? Would she leave? Was this really happening? The woman started getting nervous at the way the man was speaking. This wasn’t the Aaron Keener she knew. No, this was someone completely different.

Someone she didn’t know.

“Keener… you’re blowing smoke. Now’s not the time for this-”

“Now is the  _ perfect  _ time for this. This situation? What’s going on? It just proves how broken this all is. Someone needs to take the reins- put it all back together, no matter the cost.”

Evelynn began to falter as she saw Keener’s watch briefly flash red. His eyes glance down at the piece of equipment, contemplating. Not moments later is when he made the decision that would put everything in motion. He taps at the screen of the device for a moment until ISAC chimes out, echoing in the small alley.   
  
“ **_You have disavowed Division affiliation. This action will mark you as rogue._ ** ”

Evelynn immediately draws her rifle up, prompting the barrel of his assault rifle to point towards her just as fast. The game had changed, and he was rogue. Her watch was orange lit, his red. In a matter of seconds, he gave up everything that the Division was. For what? A self-righteous act that may not come to fruition?

“What have you  _ done? _ ” she asks, her voice shaking, “Keener, you-”

“Come with me, Evie. You and I could do this together,” he says, cutting in front of her again, “... don’t make me do something I’m going to regret.”   
  
“Regret?” she counters, “You mean like going back on everything you vowed?”

There is another long bout of silence, both weapons still trained at one another. The air was charged; tense and agonizing as they both didn’t speak. The woman’s thoughts are too jumbled to make coherent words. What could she say to the man that she trusted not just moments ago? What could he say to the woman that caused him to second guess the world?

“Keener… What the hell are you trying to prove?” she asks, tears threatening to fall from her eyes if she wasn’t careful, “This isn’t you…”

“... it is now,” he replied, his voice low, “Last chance, Evie…  _ Please. _ ”

The look on his face begged for her to come… and she hated that it was all too tempting. But she had to remember her oath; that she had purpose here in all of this. Shaky hands grip the weapon tight, and the soft  _ click _ of the safety turning off notified the man of her decision.

They had both decided.   
  
“Are you really going to kill me,  _ Keener? _ ”   
  
“... I could ask the same of you,  _ Hall. _ ”

She finds herself perplexed when his eyes suddenly widen, flickering to something behind her. As if an automatic trigger, she quickly turns on her heel. Her line of sight peers down her scope-

Only to find nothing.

“ _ What?--- _ ”

A devastating hit to the back of her head with cold metal knocks the wind right from her. She falls to her knees, weapon clattering to the ground before she falls to her side. Her vision was blurry, and she saw her sight start to fade. With what was left remaining of her consciousness, she peers up, helpless, tears spilling from her eyes. Was it from the pain, or from mourning the loss of the man she once knew in front of her?

“Aar.. on...”

And in a moment, she was out; unconscious, her body crumpled on the snowy concrete of the alley. Keener makes quick work, grabbing up her bag, rifle, and sidearm. He stared for a few minutes, contemplating just what he had done. There was no going back now- his choice had been made, this moment cementing its severity. As he turns to leave, he reaches the end of the alleyway before pausing, turning to glance back at the woman he was leaving behind one last time. 

He didn’t have the heart to kill her; he couldn’t do it. He only hoped whoever did would make it quick.

Pulling his hood over his head, Aaron Keener disappears into the Dark Zone, vanishing into the night like a ghost.

  
  


It takes a month for a small JTF crew to make its way back to the Dark Zone. They comb over the area, horrified by what they see. The area had been ravaged, gutted from the inside out. It was a harrowing sight to witness, and it made the small crew uneasy.

Captain Roy Benitez is at a nearby apartment complex, searching for any supplies they may be able to recover. Pushing in on the door to one of the lower floors, he can hear rustling in the room adjacent to him. Assuming the worst, he trains his weapon in front of him before quickly turning the corner.

“Don’t move! Hands where I can see-”

He’s shocked to see a woman, rattled, with a worn handgun in her hand trained on him. She was curled up in the corner of the room, under a blanket with a makeshift fire going. Her mouth is covered by a respirator coated in dried blood, her clothes torn and tattered. Dark bags were present under her eyes, and it looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

For all the rumors and talks, he never would’ve expected this. 

“ _ Core temperature dropping. Threat of hypothermia increased, _ ” ISAC chimed from her watch, “ _ Agent vital signs critical, medical assistance required _ .”

“Holy shit.”

The First Wave wasn’t dead, and the living proof was right in front of him.


End file.
